Intersperse
by xHandWhistlerx
Summary: Young Ludwig is placed in a human school in the Mushroom Kingdom as part of an intermingling experiment to see if humans and koopas can live together in peace. Will he be able to make friends or will his father's teachings cause him to fail?
1. Chapter 1: School and Humans

Intersperse

Ludwig raised an eyebrow at the light bricks of the building in front of him. It was nothing special; two floors, maybe, and not all that big. It was relatively silent other than the occasional snippets of voices being carried on the breeze to him from opened windows. He sighed and clutched his books tighter to his chest before taking a few tentative steps toward the windowed double-doors.

New scents bombarded his curious muzzle, which twitched about as it worked overtime to give each one a name: books, rubber, floor polish, ink, and a particularly dominant one…what was it? Not koopa…something different, fleshier, perhaps.

A friendly voice called his name before he could place it. A woman stood near him, peeking out at him from behind a door. She waved for him to come inside the windowed office area, smiling kindly though her eyes were uneasy. He walked into the room and set his navy blue backpack, his initials stitched in bold cursive letters, on the cushioned bench, after which sitting down next to it. He wondered at why he was required to have one; he carried the books he needed in his arms. He shrugged slightly to himself and went daydreaming as he gazed at the gold lettering.

He snapped his head up and blinked once, twice, three times when he was summoned again. The woman, now that she was finished straightening a folder with his name written on it, beckoned for him once more to follow her. He did so, and walked through the sharply turning hallways. He listened to the unfamiliar voices of the different people, wondering why he had to learn with them rather than his own friends in his kingdom. "Intermingle" was the word he had heard so many times when he had eavesdropped on his father discussing the topic with the older males that had visited so often as of late.

Again, his thoughts were interrupted when he was stopped in front of a small wooden door with the number "409" painted on it in red acrylics. The woman opened the door, led him inside, and met another woman who had just gotten up from behind a large desk. Now the first woman left, and the other approached him and placed a hand on his shoulder. She steered him around the wall of shelves and-

" Class, this is our new student. Now, as you can see, he's very special; very different from you and I." She continued her speech, but Ludwig heard no more of it.

There they were; the fleshy-smelling, smaller versions of the women that had taken him here; males, too, from the looks of it. Their round, pink-cheeked faces stared up at him with wondering eyes from their little wooden desks, curiosity resonating from them. Their faces were strange; where were their snouts? All they had were tiny round protrusions, which he assumed were their noses, and soft-looking red lines for their flat-toothed mouths. They had no scales, no claws; no threatening parts about them at all. There was nothing interesting about their manes, either; all either in shades of brown or gold, and a few splashes of red. Only their eyes seemed interesting to him. Some of them were blue or green; others were brown or black, even a girl with mismatched eyes: one frost blue, the other hazel. Still, they were different from his brilliant crimson, sliced in half by slit pupils (theirs were circular.)

These were the different people his father had spoken to him about.

These were the humans.

Note: My koopas are slightly different physically than the regular ones. They don't have shells; just spikes on their backs. Their snouts are also more elongated most of the time. Just so you know. ;)


	2. Chapter 2: Unacceptance

" What's he supposed to be?" A pudgy boy with missing teeth asked promptly when his teacher was done explaining.

" Yeah, he shouldn't be wearing a costume! Doesn't he know it's not Halloween?" A girl of similar proportions added.

" Boys and girls! I've already explained to you that this boy is not like us! This is how he looks; he's not wearing a costume." The woman recapped, frustrated.

Meanwhile, Ludwig's eyebrows had furrowed and his thoughts were racing about angrily. " Why do they think I'm in costume? Are they stupid? Haven't they seen a koopa before? I should be asking _them_ why _they_ look so weird. Huh. I guess what daddy always says is true: Humans are inferior to us." Only now, after he had satisfied himself with the last thought from his father, did he realize that many of the children were laughing at him. Others had even gotten out of their seats and were approaching him with outstretched arms and splayed fingers.

Instinct caused him to let out a low growl of warning as he slid into a slight crouch. His lips curled back over his needle-sharp teeth when a particularly daring boy had stepped even closer than his fellows, who had stopped at the growl. He crouched lower when the boy came nearer.

" Freak." He breathed as he took another step.

Ludwig's tail twitched about behind him and he snarled louder, eyes flashing.

" Daniel! Return to your seat! Ludwig, stop…doing whatever you call that." The woman scolded as she grasped the boy named Daniel's arm tightly, steering him back to his seat.

" Even his name's weird." Ludwig heard him whisper to the boys he sat next to.

" Even their names are weird." Ludwig thought to himself as he straightened up again. " Their voices are different, too."

" Alright, Ludwig, I have a seat for you over here, by Rebecca and Thomas." She gestured to the wooden desk while the redheaded Rebecca and dark-haired Thomas moaned about the new arrangement. " That will be enough of that." She said firmly.

" Sorry, Mrs. Laurel." They apologized simultaneously.

Ludwig hung his backpack on the back of his chair and placed his books in a neat pile on his desktop, ignoring their disapproving glares. Mrs. Laurel continued her lesson; science.

" Now, Ludwig, since you're new here you can sit and watch to get the hang of what we're doing. If you know an answer, though, feel free to raise your hand." She told him before turning to the board with a piece of chalk, drawing out a diagram of some sort.

"Raise your hand? What…?" Ludwig pondered, confused. " What'll happen if I do that? Will my hand grow a mouth and start talking like Einstein?" He shook his head at the ridiculous requirement. He decided to observe the other children before he did something to get him laughed at and bombarded again.

As he sat and watched, he couldn't help but notice the girl with mismatched eyes staring at him: Curious beings, these humans.


	3. Chapter 3: Mismatch Eyes

The class passed by without further incident, though the children continually took any opportunity to glance back at him. The strange-eyed girl gazed unblinkingly at him the entire time. Ludwig found this unsettling, but did his best to ignore it.

It was not until lunch that the atmosphere became icy and apprehensive again.

As Ludwig munched on shredded turkey breast and bread crusts, he felt a presence drawing near. He lifted his head and saw the mean boy, Daniel, approaching him with two other boys flanking him; Ludwig had learned their names were Ritchey and Jacob.

" Yo." Daniel grunted, head held high, when he reached him.

Ludwig raised an eyebrow, not knowing how to respond to the strange greeting. He eventually said, " Salutations…Daniel." The name felt strange on his tongue and he thought it flowed in a peculiar way.

" It's Daniel not "Dan-eel." Daniel rebutted haughtily. " What's wrong with you? Can't you talk right?" The other two boys laughed meanly.

" Of course I can talk right. Better than you can, even." Ludwig shot back with a glare. He felt his scales bristling.

" You say stuff weird, though." Ritchey commented jeeringly.

" Mm hm!" Jacob agreed. " And, why's your hair blue? Weirdo."

" Yeah. Why's your hair blue, lizard?" Daniel added. He reached out and tugged the coarse, navy locks.

Ludwig snarled angrily and lashed out at him, claws extended. He grazed Daniel's abdomen and the cruel boy stepped back several paces in shock, releasing the hair.

Ludwig smelled the fear rolling off of him, and could practically see it in the perspiration on the other twos' foreheads. He growled again, " Leave me alone."

" You won't be so lucky on the playground, lizard." Daniel glared maliciously as he turned and, motioning for the other two boys to follow him, left.

Ludwig shut his eyes and breathed deeply for a time while he stood shaking with rage. Eventually, his eyes fluttered open and he jumped in surprise with a yip. The strange-eyed girl was standing directly in front of him, staring.

" Girl, what is it you want with me? You stared at me for hours…" He sighed, putting a hand to his temple. Looking at her again, he saw that she was smiling.

" You're fun to look at." She responded simply. She then placed herself in the seat across from his.

Ludwig was about to protest, but merely exhaled through his nose and threw himself into his seat, evidently displeased.

There was a pause before she spoke. " I saw those boys being mean to you…"

" Oh, I'm sure everyone did. Wonderful." He hit his forehead on the table, leaving it down when he did.

He heard her giggling and snapped his head up again. " What?" He barked.

" Nothing." She grinned. " You just say some words different. Sometimes you say your "w's" like "v's" or somethin'."

He glared at her. " Stop making fun of me."

Her smile and laughter disappeared. " I wasn't making fun of you. I'm not a jerk like Daniel…" She trailed off sadly. " He makes fun of me, too. Y'know, for my eyes…"

Ludwig arched an eyebrow. " Why?"

" Well, they're different colors…everyone else's are the same…"

" In my culture, different colored eyes are a sign of good vision and fortune-tellers." He replied.

The mismatched eyes widened. " Really?"

He nodded.

" Wow…" She breathed, incredulous.

They both jumped slightly when the bell sounded, signaling the start of recess. She stood up and, smiling kindly at him, began to walk away.

" Wait!" He called. " You never told me your name."

She looked back at him. " Desiree. But, you can call me Daisy." She then turned on her heel and trotted from the room.

" Daisy." Ludwig repeated. The name rolled smoothly from his lips.


	4. Chapter 4: Daniel Attacks

Ludwig wandered out to the fenced play area where the other children loudly played. He took in the surroundings: a field, a cluster of trees, slides and swings, hopscotch, and benches. For some reason, the cross-wire fences put him on edge, as they meant that there was to be no leaving the area. He remembered what Daniel had told him and grew nervous: where was the boy right now? Was he watching this very moment, waiting to strike? Ludwig wondered if humans fought the way koopas did. He figured not, as they had no claws or fangs to do any real damage with.

" Lizard." His thoughts were shattered by the raspy voice of Daniel.

Two threatening laughs followed the statement, obviously from Ritchey and Jacob. Sure enough, when Ludwig turned to face them, the two flanked their leader as they had at lunch.

Daniel held a long, knobby branch in his hand, knuckles white with force as he clutched it. He smiled evilly and brandished it slightly, making the air about it swish with turbulence.

" I'll teach you to mess with me, lizard. I'm the top dog around here: the king of the third grade. So you do what I say. If I ask you a question, you answer it. If I want you to give me something, you give it to me." He lectured, still waving the branch back and forth, back and forth.

" Yeah. You always do what he says. Always. Got that, lizard?" Ritchey added.

" Even if it's your lunch money! You give it to him, lizard!" Jacob furthered Ritchey's statement and Daniel smiled, pleased with his friends' readiness to obey.

" Brainwashed." Ludwig thought to himself, tail twitching at the danger of the branch. Then he looked at Daniel, brows furrowed, and replied.

" No. I won't let a human control me. I am the superior race." He then laughed, his voice sounding more confident than he felt " You scare me as much as a hatchling would."

Daniel yelled in anger. " Ha! I'll show you who the weakling is!" He then charged at Ludwig, who jumped back and narrowly evaded a swipe of the branch. " Run away! Run! I'll come after you!" He barked.

Ludwig did as he was told and began running toward the trees. Though he had a fairly thick build, he was surprisingly light on his feet and for every three steps Daniel took, Ludwig had gained distance with one. He soon made the trees, but his hopes were dashed when he realized that he could not reach any of the branches, even if he jumped. He turned around and saw Daniel sprinting straight for him. He snarled and showed his teeth, a natural reflex. Daniel, however, was not fazed, and smashed the branch across Ludwig's snout, causing the koopa to yelp in pain. The boy was about to take another swing, but, through his pain, Ludwig head-butted him in the stomach.

" Oof!" Daniel retched as he fell over backwards with Ludwig atop him. He held his abdomen in shock as he tried not to vomit.

In the meantime, Ludwig's thoughts were bombarding him. " Kill him! Kill him! Finish! Finish!" His father's words about fighting came to him through the haze. " When in a duel, watch for any opportunity, any point of weakness. When this chance comes, finish your opponent. He cannot seek revenge if he no longer breathes."

His claws glinted fearsomely in the sun as he readied himself to finish the boy. As he brought down his paw, he was suddenly bowled over by the combined forces of Ritchey and Jacob.

" What do you think you're doing, lizard?" They both yelled as they crouched on either side of him, holding down his arms.

" My name is Ludwig! My name is LUDWIG!" He roared in rage and utter frustration as he tried to squirm free. Seeing that he could not, he resorted to the screeching call for help used by hatchlings when they felt threatened; he wished it were a mighty roar, but he was not yet old enough to achieve one. At last a teacher, having heard the piercing cry, came jogging to the scene. Jacob and Ritchey quickly rolled off of their captor and went to help Daniel to a stand.

" What in the name is going on here?" Breathed the female teacher when she reached the boys.

" Ludwig attacked Daniel, Ms. Cline! For no reason at all!" Jacob exclaimed, pointing at Ludwig behind him.

With a gasp, Ms. Cline responded. " You're the new boy, aren't you? You aren't making a very good first impression for yourself! Attacking other children…I knew this whole project was a horrible idea…"

Ludwig, now standing, interrupted her. " No! I wasn't the one who started this! They were-,"

" That will be enough of that!" Ms. Cline snapped. " Let's take this to the principal."

And with that she grabbed Ludwig by the arm and dragged him through the trees, across the blacktop, and into the building once more. He felt Daniel smirking triumphantly behind him all the time.


	5. Chapter 5: Mr Black's Office

Ludwig sat outside the principal's office, tears threatening to escape his eyes. He sniffed them back and put his head in his hands. He hated humans; how could they be so cruel? Because of their hatred toward him, a hatred he did not understand, he now sat outside of their leader's office with an aching snout and a worsening sore throat.

He brought his head up when he heard his name called. Standing shakily, he slowly walked into the office and over to a chair where it was indicated he should sit. He did as he was told, head lowered, and wiped his nose: a few streaks of blood were left on his hand.

" So, you must be Ludwig, our little friend of a different species. I would ask how you've been enjoying the school so far, but…" The man behind the large desk sighed. " Well, I suppose it's obvious that you've had a rough time."

Ludwig nodded solemnly.

" Lift your chin up, my boy. Just tell me what happened between you and that gang of boys; I won't judge."

Ludwig did as he was told and spotted the golden nameplate on his desk, labeled "Mr. Black."

" Well…Mr. Black," Ludwig began. " It all started at lunch, when the three of them came over to where I was eating my lunch."

" Daniel, Ritchey, and Jacob?" Mr. Black interpreted.

" Yes. Them." He responded, a strangled growl making his voice deepen slightly. " They, mostly Daniel, started making fun of me and Daniel started pulling my hair. I, uh…" He paused.

" Go on. Remember, I won't judge." Mr. Black assured him with a friendly smile.

Clearing his throat softly, Ludwig went on. " I lashed out at him with my claws and I grazed his stomach a little, but I don't think I actually hurt him at all, just scared him." He explained. " They left me alone, but at…uh, recess? Yes, recess. The three of them came back. This time Daniel had a branch. All three of them started with the taunting again and I told him that he didn't scare me…even though he did, a little." Despite himself, he smiled a bit in embarrassment. " Then he started chasing me and once we got into the woods I turned on him and he hit me across the muzzle with the branch. I head-butted him to the ground because he was going to try again and I was about to…c-claw him." He stuttered as he remembered the terrible thoughts. " But, Ritchey and Jacob tackled me and I had to use the hatchling call to get someone to come over. Then they lied and said I started the whole thing and I was dragged here." He finished as he fell back in his seat, crossing his arms. He wiped his snout again and more blood was left on his hand.

" Well, Ludwig, I'm very sorry that that had to happen to you. I won't punish you, since you were only defending yourself, but if it does happen again, there may be consequences." Mr. Black said sincerely. " I know that Daniel is a bully, one of the biggest in the school, in fact, and we have been punishing him for his actions. He just won't stop." He sighed.

" Someone needs to put him in his place, then. At home, if another koopa is that mean, then someone goes and duels him. Usually, the stuck-up one loses and he's too ashamed to mess with anyone again. So someone just needs to go and have a duel with Daniel." Ludwig explained.

Mr. Black leaned closer to Ludwig. " Listen, I know that that's how things work in your kingdom, but here we try to never use violence for anything. All it causes is harm, fear, and death. Here we give punishments, like a day in detention, or labor, sometimes."

Ludwig's jaw dropped. " But, that doesn't do anything! I've seen it myself at my home castle. If two of my brothers get into a fight, Dad punishes them, and they behave for a day or two, but then they just start right back up again! Now, if we get beaten for what we do, it doesn't happen again; we remember the pain and avoid it as best we can." He finished.

Mr. Black's eyes widened. " Wait, you get beaten?"

" Of course. Everyone is. It really works."

" That isn't good, Ludwig."

" Sure it is. I know what and what not to do now, so it can't be terrible."

" Why don't you go back to class now. I need to talk to those boys and some teachers."

" Um, okay. Good day, Mr. Black." He said with a wave.

" Goodbye, Ludwig. Ah, perhaps you should stop by the nurse's office before you go to class."

Ludwig tasted blood and realized that it was flowing freely from one of his nostrils.

" Oh. Okay." He said as he excused himself from the office.

He had a sickening feeling that he had said something very wrong.


	6. Chapter 6: Going Home

The first day of being "interspersed" had at last come to a close without further incident. Daniel, Ritchey, and Jacob had been escorted to Mr. Black's office before Ludwig had found his way back to class, though the atmosphere still cooled when he arrived despite their absence. Daisy glanced up at him and smiled slightly before returning to her papers. A flicker of concern had passed through her improperly matched eyes when she had seen his swollen, bruising snout and blood-encrusted nostrils.

When the final bell rang, she had flickered over to him when no one was paying attention.

" What happened to you?" She asked, prodding.

" Daniel." He responded monotonously. He then threw his backpack over his shoulder and strutted away, hoping she would leave him alone.

He was surprised to find her frolicking beside him to keep up.

" Oh, you got in a fight. Well, no biggie. He gets in fights with everybody. They usually just pull each other's hair or kick each other a little, though. He's never actually used the branch on anybody before." She explained, noting his muzzle.

" Lovely." He huffed, picking up his speed.

" You walk really fast. Are you gonna be late for your ride or something? Where do you live anyway? I never see you around here and I don't think anyone new has moved here lately."

He rounded on her, steaming. " Little girl, please leave me alone. I'm not missing a ride, I don't live around here; I don't even live in this kingdom!"

" Well, jeez, I was just asking, Mr. Grouchy." She crossed her arms.

He growled in annoyance. " This is why I stay in my room." He whispered under his breath as he began walking away again.

" Hey! Wait for me!" She called, rushing over to him.

" I don't want to walk with you!" He yelled at her, twitching with annoyance.

She stopped in her tracks, looking hurt. " Oh. Well, you could've just said so…" She trailed off as she turned to walk away. " No one ever wants to walk with me." She murmured pitifully.

Ludwig immediately simmered and internally kicked himself for being so cruel to the one person that was friendly to him. " Hey. I…" He sighed, staring at his feet.

" What?" She mumbled.

Groaning to himself, he jogged over to her and began walking beside her. " I'll walk with you…just for today."

She immediately became chipper and talkative again, adding to his frustration, but not enough to make him storm away from her or yell.

Once outside, Daisy hopped onto a large yellow bus and, after telling him goodbye, disappeared within it.

Ludwig walked off down the sidewalk and sat at the corner where his father was to arrive. With a loud beating of spinning blades, Bowser arrived in his sizable clown copter.

Smiling, he motioned for Ludwig to get in. He did as he was told, relief that the day was at last over washing over him.

" Well, how'd it go…oh." Bowser raised an eyebrow at his son's damaged snout as he took off again.

" Terribly, father, I hate it." Ludwig promptly stated, curling into a ball and putting his head down. " I don't want to do it anymore. Everyone hates me, judges me, and tries to beat me up."

Bowser looked at his son sympathetically. " Look, you're my son and…that means that you'll probably not be, uh…well-liked. It's just something you'll have to deal with as you go through school here-,"

" What!" Ludwig shrieked. " You're making me go back there? Why?"

" Because it's part of a very important experiment!" Bowser barked, silencing his son. " I want my children to be able to handle humans better than I do. It would make your lives so much easier if you knew their ways: how to communicate with them, what's acceptable and what's not when around them, how to behave properly."

" What do you mean; _behave properly_? I thought that that was the last thing you wanted us to do." Ludwig grimaced in confusion. " And, why do we have to learn _their_ ways? Why can't they learn ours?"

" Because they probably would not survive being taught. Unless you haven't noticed today, our ways are a bit harsher than theirs. They would die after being in the Dark Lands for five minutes." Bowser explained.

" Yeah, that's true…they do seem pretty soft and spineless. I mean, you should hear the ways they punish, if that's what you'd call it. All they do is 'give them a firm talking to.'" Ludwig said lowering his voice and wagging a finger. " I mean, what's that going to do? Nothing, obviously, if they have brats like Daniel running around." He growled.

" Daniel?" Bowser questioned, looking back at Ludwig again. " Oh." He said when Ludwig pointed at his snout.

Conversation ended other than a few other short questions and responses every now and then. The landscape changed from colorful to monochromatic beneath them and within the hour they had arrived at the monstrous castle they called home. They landed and as soon as they stepped out, the small, two-year old Larry came running toward them.

" Hey, biggest bro!" He called gleefully as he jumped onto his eldest brother.

" Oomph!" Ludwig gasped when his growing brother hit him directly in the stomach. " Larry, you aren't as small as you used to be." He laughed slightly, despite his mood.

" Sorry…hey, what happened to your snout?" Larry asked as he reached to prod the wound with his claw.

" Don't." Ludwig pushed his brother's hand away and set him back on the ground.

" Did those human things beat you up?" Larry asked quietly.

" Yes." Ludwig responded. " Oh, I can't wait until the day I breathe my first fire. Then I'll show them, and they'll regret ever looking over their shoulders at me."


	7. Chapter 7: Annoyance and Friendship

Day two of the project began all too quickly for Ludwig. He feared that going back to the humans would mean more harm would come to him; his snout throbbed as a reminder of the fight. It was now a horrific shade of yellow with brilliant patches of purple and blue throughout, along with a red and irritated scrape in the center.

" Now remember," Bowser told him when he had dropped Ludwig off at the corner. " You are the superior. You are stronger and smarter; and to top it all off, you are of royal blood. Don't let their arrogant mindsets get in your way."

Ludwig recounted the words over and over in his head as he sat at his desk during science class. Watching the other children, he decided that they were unequivocally true. They had no prior knowledge of what was being taught to them, and seemed unable to retain the information, though the teacher explained it repeatedly. They had terrible speech, slurred and ridden with mispronunciations. And they seemed unable to do anything that was somewhat challenging for themselves. Every time they came to a new question, they skimmed over it impatiently and yelled for the teacher to come over to answer it for them.

After hearing the same question answered for the fourth time in a row, Ludwig had had enough.

" For tyrant's sake, a plant is a producer! A _producer_!" He barked.

" Whaaaa-," The boy who had asked the question gasped, appalled.

" Must I draw it out for you?" Ludwig growled, standing up and snatching a piece of chalk from the basket by the board. He hastily sketched out a food chain on the dusty blackboard. " Look. Plant: Producer; Animal: Consumer; Fungus: Decomposer. Do you understand?" He asked, breathing heavily as his temper boiled.

" Go back to your seat, please, Ludwig." Mrs. Laurel said quietly, pointing at his vacant desk.

" I'm sorry, Mrs. Laurel, but I just couldn't hear them ask those questions one more time. Two more times…three or more, probably. It gets to a person's mind after awhile." He breathed, trying to calm himself as he returned to his seat.

Everyone stared at him, open mouthed, as though he had just sprouted wings and flown out the window.

" W-what? Is it that amazing that I know what the stages of a food chain are?" He glared before turning his back on them in his chair. " Stupid humans." He mumbled under his breath.

At lunch, Daisy skipped over to his solitary table and made herself comfortable in the seat beside him.

" You don't like idiots do you?" She promptly asked as she unwrapped her peanut-butter sandwich.

" What? Uh, no; no I don't." He said tiredly as he returned to massaging his forehead.

" Then you're going to hate it here. Most of the kids in our grade are pretty dumb." She laughed slightly.

" Most of my siblings at home are, too. God, there's no escape!" He whimpered in anguish as he yanked at his hair.

" Nope." She agreed. " But, it gets better. I still get annoyed by dumb people sometimes, but after awhile you don't even notice much. I just read what we're going over, answer the questions, do homework…y'know, just little things to keep my mind off it. Oh, I doodle all over my stuff, too. Wanna see?" Without waiting for a response she shoved one of her binders under his nose.

Taking it gently in his claws, he examined the various drawings that covered the surface. There were people and horses with wings, dragons, the Mushroom People with their oversized heads and stubby legs, and a creature with claws, fangs, and wild hair that slightly resembled himself. There was so much to take in that he had to set it aside for a moment to let it process. He felt it get pried from his hands.

" Funny, right? I get so bored in class sometimes." She smiled.

" I can see that." He replied, rubbing his eyes.

They chattered at one another for the remainder of lunch and all throughout recess, when she showed him a hollowed out patch of shrubs in the wooded area where she hid during playtime. They doodled random shapes in the dirt with twigs they had found and laughed at the deformed ones that the not-so-artistically-talented Ludwig scribbled.

At the end of the day, Ludwig found that he was walking alongside Daisy again, though he had told himself he wouldn't. Shrugging to himself, he decided that he didn't care and stayed at her side until she boarded the bus. He walked to the corner, smiling slightly, and determined that the strange human girl was his friend.


	8. Chapter 8: A Challenge

~3 years into Interspersing~

Ludwig, now midway through his second year of middle school, trotted up to the familiar double-doors, backpack slung over his shoulder casually. He walked about the hallways he had become acquainted with and placed his belongings in his locker; it stood by itself in a rarely used back hallway. It stood here because, when he had first been assigned a locker in the fifth grade, the children on either side of him were cruel and shoved him about; this had resulted in Ludwig lashing out at them both, and all three were given detention.

The young koopa had grown considerably since third grade, and he now stood an inch and a half above everyone else in his grade. He had begun to lose some of his excess baby fat and was slightly leaner, though still sporting a thicker build. The spikes on his back had gotten slightly longer as well.

He had a jagged scar across the top of his snout, a daily reminder of his arch nemesis, Daniel. The two boys had gotten into minor squabbles throughout the past few years, but their different classes had separated them and had eased tensions slightly. Lately, though, Ludwig had been worried about Daniel and his two stooges, who had grown stronger and filled out more since grade school. Although Ludwig was indeed larger than them, he knew that size was often beaten by numbers, and if they were to get into another brawl, he would more than likely be overtaken by them. He pushed the thought out of his mind and tried to concentrate on other, happier things.

Like Daisy; the one friend he had made through the whole ordeal. They were both outcasts, though he was worse off than she, and outcasts had to stick together. He had figured that his temper and rude comments would drive her away eventually, but she never seemed terribly hurt by them. It wasn't like he made them intentionally; when he was angry he had a bad habit of saying nasty things to his comforters. He hoped that their friendship would stay as strong as it was during the coming years…maybe even beyond then.

" Wait, what?" He murmured to himself, confused by the thought. He shook his head to clear his thoughts again.

" Hey, Ludey." A familiar voice greeted him happily.

" Hello, Daisy." He replied, scooping up his things, closing his locker, and walking over to her.

Daisy had changed since grade school as well; she was a bit taller, and she wore stranger clothes, mostly black or brightly colored with weird designs. She wore her black hair in a choppy bob and she wore a gray bow-clip that kept her long bangs away from her eyes, a permanent item in her outfits.

" So, what's shakin'? Everything cool at home?" She asked as they began to walk to their homeroom together.

" Yes, everything's fine. Father hasn't beaten us as much since those authorities came to my home back in third grade…you know that." He furrowed his eyebrows at her.

" Well, yeah, but I'm just checking." She said, half-smiling.

" Lizard." They heard a raspy voice taunting.

" Oh, brilliant." Ludwig sighed quietly as he turned to face Daniel, Ritchey, and Jacob.

" Walking with Snake Eyes again, huh? The biggest outcasts of the school: Frick and Frack, Thing 1 and Thing 2, Dumb and Dumber. I'll keep going if you like." He sneered to his two slaves' laughter.

" Don't call her names. If you're going to be cruel to someone, let it be me. Picking on me doesn't matter, but when you mess with a girl, that's just low. Even for you." Ludwig said bravely. He saw Daisy smile admiringly at him in his peripheral vision, but only for a moment.

" Fine, Lizard, I will mess with you instead of your little girlfriend." Daniel replied.

" Oooooooo!" Jacob and Ritchey called.

" She's not my-," Ludwig tried to say.

" Clearly. Now shut up and listen to what I have to say." Daniel's voice lowered. " You haven't been very obedient lately, Lizard, and I don't like that. So, let's settle this once and for all, in the wooded spot after school. If you win this little match, I won't mess with you anymore. If I win, you do whatever I tell you…and I get to say whatever I want to Snake Eyes. Without you interfering." Jacob and Ritchey nodded jeeringly from their assigned flanks.

Ludwig was silent, but decided that if he had this one last fight, and won, it would be beneficial in the future. " Fine." He said slowly. " But, we won't tell our parents or teachers about where we got our injuries. We'll make up lies so we won't get punished."

" Fine. Not that I'll need to make up anything; you'll be down and crying after five seconds." He then turned on a heel, two stooges in tow, and sauntered back down the hallway.

Little did they know that Ludwig had a few tricks at his disposal.


	9. Chapter 9: The Duel

Ludwig walked slowly across the fields, nearing the wooded patch where he had first fought Daniel. The sky was littered with clouds, white and gray, though the sun still managed to show through. A chill wind had picked up slightly, tousling his wild hair and making him clench his teeth in annoyance. The feeling was soon forgotten, as it was chased away by a sickly, nervous one that slithered about his stomach and constricted his throat. His palms were clammy and he felt his tail waving back and forth shakily.

" Why am I so nervous, anyway? He's just a human, and humans are weak. I'm stronger now, I can use a bit of magic, and…" He stopped his thoughts as he pondered the final ability. " Well, father _did_ say that a sign of your first fire is a hotness in the back of your throat…but, I just started feeling that this morning. What if it's not ready yet?" He worried. Fire would have been his greatest strength, but if he did not have it, he feared that he would be at risk of losing the duel.

There was no time to think about that now, because he now stood a few steps away from the trees and bushes. And he could see Daniel, Ritchey, and Jacob waiting for him.

" Coming, Lizard?" He heard Daniel mocking.

With a small growl he stepped forward, standing as straight as he could and putting his nose in the air slightly in a show of confident arrogance.

" I thought you weren't coming for a minute." Daniel sneered.

" I figured that you would be the one not showing up." He shot back. " No you didn't; you _knew_ he would be here." He thought to himself.

" Okay. We're having a coin-toss. Whoever's side it lands on gets to pick the rules for this little game. You'll be tails, obviously." Jacob and Ritchey laughed, causing Daniel to swell with pride. " And I'll be heads."

" And you won't be flipping a same sided coin with heads on both sides, will you?" Ludwig asked in monotone.

All three looked shocked for a moment.

" My brothers do it all the time. I know any trick that you may have up your sleeves." He said triumphantly, crossing his arms.

" Oh, screw it, let's just get to the fight!" Daniel spat, angry that his plan had backfired. He bent down by a bush and picked up the gnarled branch from so long ago. Ludwig could make out dried bloodstains, _his_ blood, from when he had gotten hit in the snout. " I hid it all these years for safe-keeping. You remember it don't you?" He swished it back and forth, bringing back terrible memories to Ludwig's mind.

Daniel charged forward, branch raised, and Ludwig leaped out of the way, falling into a crouch and releasing a low growl. He remembered the advice his father had given him and waited for Daniel to expose himself at just the right time before striking. The boy had raised the branch again and was coming toward him; Ludwig saw his chance and clawed Daniel's chest.

"Ah!" He gasped when Ludwig's claws pierced his flesh, he stepped back and gave a signal to Ritchey and Jacob. The two boys jogged forward and tried to grab Ludwig, who snapped at their hands and made them pull back. Using his tail as a whip, he hit Jacob's knees, causing him to topple into Ritchey.

Ludwig yelled in pain and fell to the ground. Daniel had come up from behind him and clubbed him with all of his strength with the branch. His head throbbed as he laid in the dirt and his vision blurred in and out. All at once the three boys were upon him: Jacob and Ritchey holding him down, Daniel smacking the branch up and down his body. The pain sent tears pricking at his eyes and flames to lick up and down his scaled body. Flames. Fire. _Fire!_

Suddenly, the back of Ludwig's throat boiled agonizingly, smoke furled in ringlets from his nostrils, and his first fire leaped brilliantly from his opened jaws. There were screams of terror and all pressure was released from him, allowing him to jump up through his pain. Jacob and Ritchey were several feet away, crying like hatchlings, trying to put out the viscous flames on their clothes.

Looking around with dark intentions, he at last spotted Daniel sprinting away across the open fields, branchless.

Ludwig charged after him with leaping bounds. "_Coward!_" He shouted hoarsely as he caught up to him.

" No, no! _No!_" Daniel wailed as he desperately tried to run faster.

Ludwig held up his hand and shot a small spell out of it: it was weak, but it served its purpose and knocked Daniel to the ground, skidding. Ludwig closed the gap between him and his prey, not noticing the beating of propellers above him. He opened his jaws and fire built in his throat, billowing outward-

" Ludwig!" Bowser snarled as he snagged his son off the ground by the scruff. Daniel was singed, though barely, and shrieked with tears flowing in rivers.

" No! NO! Let me kill him! I want to _kill_ him!" Ludwig screamed wildly, eyes rolling as his claws flailed with bloodlust.

" Ludwig! No! Stop it!" Bowser demanded as he clutched his son tighter, hoping to induce enough pain to bring him to his senses. " Leave the idiotic human to wail like a baby. Come back to yourself, you insane…" He trailed off before he could say anything more.

Ludwig's struggling ceased eventually and he hung in his father's grasp, breathing heavily. His eyes flicked nervously in all directions as Bowser placed him on the floor of the Clown Copter. Ludwig leaned over the edge and became violently sick, his knees giving out once his retching had ended. He fell to the ground, saliva and blood trickling from his slightly opened jaws. The pain settled and, despite himself, he began to cry, softly at first, but then escalating to gasping sobs.

Bowser looked down at his eldest son as they flew through the thickly overcast sky. The sobbing boy was broken, deeply scarred, and, ultimately, insane. He turned back to the gray of the sky and smiled softly.

" You know, you're a lot like I was, when I was your age."


	10. Chapter 10: Anger and a Promise

Ludwig found himself outside of Mr. Black's office again, though this time in considerably worse shape. He gazed expressionlessly at his hands; motionless as he tried to avert his mind from the three pairs of eyes he felt burning into his body. Daniel, Ritchey, and Jacob sat across the room from him, each silent aside from the occasional shuffle when they changed position.

Ludwig's heart was heavy as he remembered the old sorcerer, Kamek's, assessment of his injuries.

" I can heal the fractured bones with magic." He had rasped as he overlooked the young prince. " A fractured rib and some crackled fingers are easy. But…your knee…" He had clucked his tongue in thought, but had not finished the sentence; he merely set to work healing the things he could.

Ludwig's knee had loosened, nearly dislocated, and was deemed irreversible; he would forever walk with a troublesome limp. And he would bear the scars of the ordeal for years.

Daniel had four long, festering scabs across his chest and he, along with Ritchey and Jacob, had discolored burns about their faces and arms.

All four jumped when their names were called, and they entered the office soundlessly.

" What were you thinking? All of you." Mr. Black growled angrily once they had been seated. " Why would you take such violent efforts against each other? You are fellow classmates and you should treat each other as such!" His brow shone with sweat as he glared at them in disappointment.

Ludwig glanced up at the man who had once spoken so kindly to him and was taken slightly aback by the amount of anger in his eyes.

" I wanted to make them stop." Ludwig said meekly.

" Stop what?" Mr. Black asked, vaguely calming.

Ludwig swallowed, though his mouth was dry. " They always bother me. They shove me in the hallways, they call me rude names…they make fun of my-my friend." He stuttered, his heart thudding as Daisy crossed his mind for a fleeting moment. " I wanted to put an end to it, and I thought it was the…only way."

" You could have come to a teacher, or another staff member, or _me_, even." Mr. Black sighed as though in disbelief at the obvious options that had been missed.

Smoke swirled from Ludwig's nostrils. " You think I haven't _tried_?" His voice shook. " You think I haven't told anyone about this? Of course I do! Close to every time it happens! All those teachers ever do is _say_ they'll do something, and blow it off later! That's all anyone ever does!" His claws dug deep into the wooden armrests of his chair. " Nobody believes me. Because of who I am. _What_ I am. It's all a joke; it's all a _lie_. They all hate me; I sense it. I can smell it pouring off of them, coming to snuff me out." He spat malevolently. " Humans. You're all just a bunch of _unintelligent, blind-sighted, hateful apes_! _Damn it!_" He screamed, and a small jet of flame leapt from his throat, singeing the ceiling and creating a heavy cloud of sulfurous smoke.

Daniel, Ritchey, and Jacob all cringed convulsively and balled up in their seats, whimpering like dogs.

" Be still, Ludwig!" Mr. Black yelled, jumping up and trying to wave away the smoke. Voices murmured outside the door, and the silhouettes of teachers darkened the frosted door. " I will decide your punishment for this! For now, leave my office!"

Ludwig hissed a few spiteful words in a different tongue and flung open the door. He shoved his way through the crowd roughly and ran, his knee fiery with pain, to his locker to fetch his things and leave the school; he knew his father would be waiting.

" Ludwig?" A voice, whispery with concern, called to him.

He whipped around, glaring furiously at the voice that postponed his escape.

" Daisy…" His features softened when he saw his friend, though he continued to gather his things.

" What are you doing?" She asked, mismatched eyes wide with curiosity and worry.

" Leaving. And I'm not coming back." He mumbled, boiling with excess rage, and slammed his locker shut.

" B-but-well, wait-I-," She stumbled over her words as he stormed past her. " But, you're my friend! Who else can I sit with at lunch? I can't play hide-and-seek by myself!" She rambled.

" I'm sorry, Daisy, but I've got to go. This place is doing horrible things to my mind." He limped away.

" But, who will walk me to the bus?" Her voice shook, causing him to turn around again. There was a sorrowful wetness in her eyes.

He felt his eyes pricking as he stared at her, but he shook his head to clear them.

" I…I'll come back…a long while from now…but, I will." He then turned and ran from the building, the feeling of her swimming eyes searing the very fibers of his soul.

He knew he would return. A long while from now, but he would. ~


End file.
